


The Shadow Of You

by NympheSama



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Character Death, Emotional Hurt, Loneliness, Loss, M/M, Pain, Sad, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-11-29 02:56:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18217253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NympheSama/pseuds/NympheSama
Summary: Haunted. Alone. Lost.Floating amid space, Tony has nothing left... a weak transmission however, allows him to steal one last moment for himself.





	The Shadow Of You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shadow15](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow15/gifts).



> Aloha!
> 
> I dont usually do Marvel tbh, i dont like to do the fandom.an injustice woth my lack of knowledge XD
> 
> That said i owed a good friend - and i adapted this.from another fic i had written in MY fandom.
> 
> Its based on the song Tea House Moon by Enya - if you wanna look it up by all means, as it sets the tone (but obv. its up to you)
> 
> Anyway, i hope you enjoy this! Pleaaaase let me know what you think tho cuz im an imsecure little dweeb ♡ thankyou ♡
> 
> x My love to you all x

**The Shadow Of You**.

Starlight glimmered, as a preternatural moon glowed outside of the Benator's great windscreen, illuminating the barren landscape of a forgotten world. It's beautiful, if eerie glow gently illuminated countless crystals upon the surface of the lifeless planet, the darkness slowly being pushed back, as the light of the stars and the moon converging amid the crystals, which captured the light and redistributed its glow as if it were their own. Occasionally the light would dim, flickering as if a candle flame caught by an unexpected breeze.

Upon the Benator, a barefoot man sat leaning against the wall, his head hung low as his chest rose and fell slowly. His exposed skin was painted with an ethereal glow from the dancing lights outside, as he slowly raised his eyes and gazed tiredly into the distant, star speckled darkness. His plain white t-shirt danced with the strange lights, while his tracksuit bottoms appeared as if they absorbed various interchanging colours. He gazed dispassionately at the distant crystals, watching their glow intensify and shimmer before adding and repeating the cycle anew. He sucked in a deep, weary breath, leaning his head back against the wall as he blinked slowly.

"Oxygen reserves at fifteen percent, sir. Power reserves have dropped to ten percent." Friday intoned, as the mans eyes drifted slowly from the windscreen, falling to his abandoned mask on the floor beside him. "Also, there appears to be a weak transmission coming from Earth. It would seem there is an intruder in the compound..."

Tony Stark blinked slowly, shifting his gaze to his hand as he willed it to move, pushing away from the wall with an exhausted groan. He closed his eyes briefly, holding his breath as he felt dipped into his almost nonexistent energy reserves. He slid to his feet as he slowly peeled his eyes open, grunting as he grabbed hold of the back of the pilots chair to maintain his balance. He winced as he sucked in a deep breath, raising his hands to scrub his face, as he gathered his every ounce of strength and determination. His heart thudded an uneven beat, a deep and resinous ache locked deep within its monotonous drone. He flicked his eyes to his helmet, licking his lips quickly as he forced his concentration into a sharp focus. "Wh-" he coughed, clearing his throat roughly before attempting the query again. "Where..?" He croaked, exhaling slowly as he tried to summon the will to care. "... Show me." He demanded tiredly, grimacing at the light-headedness which he swooped upon him.

A heartbeat passed, before a burst of light shimmered from the eye sockets of his helmet, slowly creating a large empty space to hover around him, with a shadowed figure walking idly along the windowed wall. "Zoom in?" Tony requested, frowning as he shuffled closer to the holographic figure. The layout morphed slowly, the room itself fading out of sight as the holographic display focused onto the figure. Tony narrowed his eyes, watching as the shape expanded and blurred slightly, before it began to smooth itself once more, a rough shape emerging from the pixelated gloom. Tony's lips twitched into a tired, lopsided grin, as the hologram turned towards him, an unmistakable figure with a slightly awkward and guilty hunch to their shoulders. Tony rolled his eyes, shaking his head faintly as the ice around his heart thawed slightly upon seeing familiar man.

Tony's heart throbbed with a long familiar ache, which he determinedly ignored; forcing his concentration to remain locked on the hologram, as it flickered warningly. "Apologies, sir. Power reserves at eight percent." Friday explained regretfully, as Tony nodded tiredly. "It would appear they are searching for-" she began, only to fall silent at Tony's amused snort.

"Yeah, I know what he's looking for." He scoffed, scrubbing his hand over his stubbled jaw as he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "Can you gimme any audio, Friday?" He asked, folding his arms against his chest and worrying his nail. As he dragged his eyes slowly over the idly walking shape, Friday began to mutter quietly, a faint whir and click sounding, before a quiet voice drifted into the room.

Tony stared at the hologram, shaking his head with a soft snort of derision as he raised his hand, extending his palm towards the flickering depiction. "You promised..." The man muttered quietly, his voice distorted by the bad connection to the distant planet. "You promised you... you _bastard._ You promised to finish teaching me to dance." Tony's lips twitched, as the searching man noticeably swallowed, his distress clear from his unusual bad language.

"Dunno if you noticed Rogers, but I promise a lotta shit that I never stick to." Tony scoffed, forcing himself to lower his hand a d folding his arms over his chest in awkward guilt. "Besides, you're a shit student." He added petulantly, as Steve finally found the record he wanted and set it in the record player; a vintage model Tony had bought specifically for his use, not that he'd ever confessed to the gesture of affection. He watched as Steve sighed, moving away as the music began to croon softly in the background, warbling over the connection.

"You promised..." Steve said softly, shaking his head as he shook himself uneasily. Tony narrowed his eyes as Steve tentatively lifted his foot from the ground and shuffled half a step backwards, his hazy holographic face painted with determination. "You _promised."_ He said, raising his arms as if holding a partner and looking down at his feet as he began to shuffle awkwardly.

"You're moving like an ungraceful ape." Tony scolded, shaking his head as he watched Steve struggle. "Stop looking at your damn feet, Rogers!" He ordered, rolling his eyes as Steve continued to lock his face on the floor. Tony scrubbed his hand over his jaw, sighing as he prepared to mouth a string of profanity at Steve's lack of skill, when the other mans quiet words caused him to falter.

"If I can do this..." Steve murmured, shuffling awkwardly but determinedly as he stared at his feet. "If _I_ can do this, then _you_ can make it back." He said firmly, forcing himself to raise his face from the floor as he visibly swallowed. He closed his eyes. Squeezing them tight against an obvious pain he felt, though he refused to give voice to it.

Tony watched Steve thoughtfully as a deep ache blossomed in his heart, shifting his weight uncomfortably against the pilots chair as something in his hard demeanor softened. "Sir, power reserves have dropped to six percent. Oxygen levels have dropped to critical-"

"Okay then, dumbass..." Tony murmured, cutting off Fridays warnings as he steeled himself and cleared his throat, slowly stepping up to the hologram. "Let's see you embarrass yourself... one last time." He said, exhaling heavily before raising his arms to meet the holograms projection. He stepped forwards again, his eyes darting over Steve critically. "Now come on, Rogers. Buck up, sort your frame out already." He muttered, snorting when Steve seemed to quirk his lips into a soft smile, his stance straightening as if he'd imagined Tony's critique for himself.

"Now come on, listen to the beat and think about where you wanna go. One, two, three..." Tony said quietly, watching Steve's lips move as he nodded his head to his own soft count. Slowly, Steve began to stiffly step his way across the recreation room, pausing briefly to extend his arm up high. Tony snorted, rolling his eyes as he made a sarcastic pirouette beneath Steve's arm, chuckling as he came back to align with the holograms chest. "I would say it's just as well you'll never know I just did that..." He sniggered softly, following Steve's awkward movements across the recreation rooms floor. "But let's face it; we both know I've done worse." He said, clearing his throat as he shook his head and blinked rapidly, trying to shove away his growing light-headedness.

Steve's steely look of concentration slowly began to melt, his confidence growing as his tense shoulders relaxed, making it easier for him to maneuver his way around the large room. Tony watched intently, as a small smile hitched the other mans holographic lips up at one corner. He blinked slowly, his throat hot, scratchy and thick as Steve slowly but surely tried to smooth his awkward movements. He ran his eyes over the other man, as he stumbled and broke his frame, kicking a chair in his frustration before leaning heavily on the back of it.

"I can _do_ this..." He muttered, his holographic form flickering before Tony's eyes. Steve swallowed thickly, sucking in a deep breath as Tony barely rasped a shallow one. "This..." Steve said, pausing as he hung his head, his shoulders heavy with obvious emotion. "This is where you-" Steve's breath caught, as Tony averted his gaze, knowing only too well what the other man was referring to. "... you never gave me another lesson after that." Steve choked, scrubbing his hands over his face as his shoulders shook with grief.

"Yeah, well..." Tony muttered thickly, clearing his throat as he looked anywhere but the other man. "You're a..." He began gruffly, trailing off with a dejected sigh. He scrubbed a hand over his mouth slowly, before reluctantly turning his eyes to the infamous soldier. He chewed his lip briefly, before stepping forward with his heart in his throat, trailing his eyes over Steve unhurriedly; and greedily drinking in every detail of the beard which the other man had not had the last time they'd been together. "Okay... you're a piss poor dancer, but you're a _fighter,_  Rogers. You're... not a _total_ write off." He murmured quietly, his gaze softening as he hesitantly raised a hand as if to stroke Steve's cheek.

"Power reserves at four percent, sir." Friday warned, as Steve's holographic display flickered again, disappearing entirely for a terrifying heartbeat, before steadying once more. "Oxygen levels have dropped to-" she continued, only for Tony to speak over her, as if hadn't heard her at all.

"C'mon, Rogers..." He sighed, shaking his head as he married his eyes and blinked slowly, his heart seeming to thud slower but louder in his chest. "You and I both know that, that kiss..." He paused, his throat thick as he closed his eyes, his balance wavering as exhaustion seeped into every part of his mind. His thoughts flitted, and he cocked his head as he recalled the passionate exchange he'd shared with the other Avenger, after an intense attempt at a dance lesson.

His leaden heart soared slowly into his throat, his eyes slowly peeling open against their desire to remain closed, as he swallowed thickly and forced himself to stand straight. "We both know it wouldn't have worked. Sooner or later... I always rub everyone the wrong way." He admitted slowly, honest about his attachment for the first time; now that nobody could witness the phenomena.

Tony slowly sucked in a deep breath, a sense of longing twisting its way into a steely determination and focus. "C'mon, Rogers. Get up." He ordered, his breath almost catching as he watched Steve suck in a deep and trembling breath, holding it as he turned his face to the ceiling. "Get _up!_ Finish what you started, you-" His weak fury faded as Steve wiped his cheeks with his hands, exhaling slowly as he straightened and cleaned his throat. "That's it. Now, frame..." Tony muttered insistently, watching Steve collect himself and slowly relock his frame.

"Okay... I can do this." Steve sighed heavily, swaying his hips gently as he cleared his throat and grit his teeth in determination. "I can. I _will."_ He swore, his holographic form flickering repeatedly as the remaining power continued to drain dangerously low.

Tony felt his heart ache with an intense longing, deep within his chest. He slowly stepped to his left, and the hologram moved with him, perfectly in sync with his movements. His feet moved soundlessly across the ground, as he and the hologram shuffled awkwardly at first, before settling to glide almost harmoniously. Tony watched Steve's face change with a myriad of expressions, heart singing with a great and sorrowful joy. He twirled slowly within the boundaries of the Benator, his gaze unusually soft as Steve slowly gained confidence and began to move with a small hint of gracefulness.

"Heh," Tony chuckled, rolling his eyes as he moved to follow Steve's lead and dip backwards. "There ya go, Rogers. See, ya can make progress old man..." He sniggered, as the holograms arms extended, mimicking the frame as if to brace a partner. Tony arched, gliding gracefully forward with his hands raised, almost palm to palm with his holographic depiction as they spun effortlessly amid the ethereal glow of the crystal strewn planet.

Tony lost track of time, gazing at the determination in Steve's holographic eyes, the pair twirling and arching around one another with gentle and unhurried movements; but never able to physically touch. He cursed however, when he suddenly lost his balance and fell to the floor with a muted thud. He grimaced, grunting as he weakly pushed himself to his knees and looked up to the hologram, as Steve continued to try and dance. "Heh, now ya gettin' it..." He huffed tiredly, attempting to push himself to his feet, but finding his energy reserves had finally depleted too far. Instead, he managed to flop himself back against the wall, groaning as he rolled his head against the hard surface. "Fuck it."

"Power reserves at-" Friday began, the monotonous tone faltering as the hologram disappeared for another long heartbeat. "To conserve energy, I should-"

"Friday..." Tony rasped, his chest rumbling with amusement as he felt his heart skip a beat, upon seeing Steve's hologram return, lips curl into a slow but almost cocky smile. "Jus-" he huffed weakly, forcing himself to concentrate and focus his tired eyes upon the still moving hologram. He blinked and smiled softly, a faint sigh escaping him, as he watched Steve's flickering visage glide away from him. "Hmm..." He hummed, blinking slowly as Steve drifted to a halt, his arms locked into place for a heartbeat longer, before lowering to his sides.

Tony's heart throbbed dangerously and he barely choked back a gasp, as he saw the holographic projection of Steve, outlined by the majestic glow of starlight. His breath caught briefly, and he turned his stinging eyes to the dark, glittering sky as he desperately tried to contain the deep rooted ache of his heart. He felt the damp tickle of warm tear across his cheek, as he looked up vacantly into the stars glittering over the holograms shoulders, overwhelmed by yearning as the hologram flickered. Tony slowly lowered his eyes, swallowing thickly and sucking in a deep, shuddering breath; watching with mounting trepidation, as the hologram slowly turned towards him. Tony barely dared to breath, his heart racing when the hologram faced him fully.

His throat tightened as the hologram flickered, the transmission failing as a warning buzzer began to sound in the otherwise silent section of space. He raised his right hand, as if to reach for the hologram, but the ever present distance remained between them; tugging at his aching heart. "Oh..." He breathed, his throat thick and catching painfully as his heart swelled, aching desperately as his stinging eyes finally blurred with tears. _Steve..._ He thought longingly, instantly awash with grief as his concentration wavered, his eyes heavy as he struggled to choke down breath.

 _"Warning!_ Power reserves at one percent, sir!" Friday warned urgently, the holographic light from the mask blinking erratically. The soft smile never faded from the holograms lips, before it burst into a colourful shower of pixelated fog. "Power reserves depleted. Shutting down... sir..." The holographic fog hovered teasingly before him for a moment, before slowly dispersing, as if wisps of smoke caught in a breeze.

Tony's fingers slowly curled into his palm before him, his arm dropping to his side as his eyes drifted closed and he swallowed back a small sob of regret. He lowered his face to the ground, his aching heart thudding loudly in his chest, as he cherished the bittersweet memory of the other mans face. His mind swam amid the memories of their fantastical lives, filled with a deep yearning that he could experience even just one more moment with the other man. Steve's calm, reassuring face flitted behind his eyes, as tears stung his eyes beneath his closed lids, leaving his cheeks damp as they finally, slowly escaped him. The lights from his helmets eyes flickered sorrowfully as he mourned the loss of his lover, now so indeterminably far away from him. "Sorry... Rogers-" He whispered haltingly to the empty void around him, slowly closing his eyes as he swallowed heavily against the overwhelming sorrow and loneliness which radiated from within his aching heart. "Looks like... I'm gonna need... a raincheck... on... that..." He murmured, his breath catching as his chest hitched tiredly.

Friday's monotonous voice faltered and finally cut out completely, though Tony couldn't find the energy to care. Behind his heavy eyelids, he saw the perfectly in colour face of the man he'd loved but had run away from, and his lips curved into a small smirk, as his chest slowly fell; and did not rise again.


End file.
